Binder and leaves.



E. C. HOLLAND.

BINDER AND LEAVES.

AP PLI OATION FILED MAY 31, 1 9o5.

949,959a Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

a2 E I 6 L f I I 7% M Q E. G. HOLLAND.

BINDER AND LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1905.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l1t||ir O 111 IEI MWWMM My E. G. HOLLAND.

BINDER AND LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED my a1, 1905. 949,959.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

KEN a Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ormon.

ELIAS O. HOLLAND, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO METALSECTIONAL FURNITURE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION.

BINDER AND LEAVES.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS C. HOLLAND, of the city of Benton Harbor,county of Berrien, and State of Michigan, have invented .certain new anduseful Improvements in Binders and Leaves; and I do hereby declare thatthe followin is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of binders and leaves in whichall-the binding parts are included between two clamping bars, and theleaves may be inserted and withdrawn without removing either of thecovers, and resides in the various novel devices and combinations of thesame herein illustrated and described, together with their mechanicalequivalents, and which are pointed out with more particularity in theclaims appended hereto.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my binder, withthe leaves removed, in a locked or closed position. Fig. 2 represents afront elevation of the same in an open or expanded position. Fig. 3 is adetail of one of my leaves, showing the peculiar perforation forbinding. Fig. 4: is a sectional view taken through the line fl:fk of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail of the middle back of my binder and Fig. 6 isa plan View of Fig. 5. Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are sectional views of my bindertaken respectively through the lines 77, 88 and 99 of Fig. 2. Fig. 10 isa detail of the pawls of my binder lock. Figs. 11, 12 and 13, aredetails of my locking mechanism.

More particularly described, A and B represent the binding members of mybinder and consists of a and b the binding bars, a and b the backflanges of the same, (1 and 6 the end flanges of the same and a? and btubular sockets secured to the bars a and b at their juncture with theback flanges a and b and the end flanges a; and 12*, and securedoppositely to each other. These parts a, a and a and Z), Z) and b ofeach binding member A. and B, are preferably made of one casting or ifof more than one piece are secured rigidly together. The covers P and Pare hinged respectively to the members A and B.

C represents the middle back of my binder and consists of a strip ofrigid material lying back of and parallel with the said binding membersA and B, and overlap- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31, 1905.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Serial No. 263,013.

ping the flanges a and b. In the process of opening and closing orexpanding and contracting the parts of my binder the members A and B,are designed to move from and toward each other, thereby alterflanges,thereby effectually protecting the I back end of the leaves. I provide,therefore, means whereby the back C is held at all times in the samerelative position to the members A and B. This means I describe asfollows :A series of disks or pitman cranks D D, I secure pivotally tothe inner face of the back C. To these disks or pitman cranks D, D, Isecure pivotally one end of the pitmen (Z cl, the other end of which aresecured by like pivotal engagement to the inner face of the flange a.Opposed to the pitmen (Z (Z, I also secure pivotally to the cranks D, D,one end of the pitmen cl cl, and the other end of them also pivotally tothe inner face of the flange b. In the expansion and contraction of thebinder, see Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the flanges a and 6 movetoward and from each other and, carrying with them the pitmen (Z and d,the cranks D D are caused to rotate. The pitmen cl and cl operating inexact relation with each other, the pivotal connections of the cranks DD with the back C are held in a fixed position thereby retaining theback G in its middle position as designed.

As it is desirable to insure the members A and B in operation to movetoward and from each other uniformly throughout their length, I providemeans for effecting this end: The cranks D D and their accompany ingpitmen (Z and (Z forming respectively connections between the flanges aand c at different points, I secure the cranks D to gether by theconnecting rod (Z pivotally connected at its ends to the cranks D Drespectively. This connecting rod (Z insures exact relation in therotation of the cranks D D and through them maintains the same relationbetween the binding members A and B. To prevent the rotation of thecranks D D and the consequent separation of the members A and B fartherthan is desirable, I provide stops in the form of blocks (Z (Z securedto one of the flanges 64 or b and against which the pitmen (Z or dstrike in the expanding operation.

I provide spring posts in my device as follows: To the inner face of theback C and opposite the sockets a Z2 of the members A and B, I secureclamps 0 0. Within the clamps 0 c I secure tubes 0 engaging at theiropposite ends the sockets a a and b b respectively. These tubes 0 c areof such size and length that in the operation of the binder they willtelescope into the said sockets a b and at no point in the expansion ofthe binder will they disengage from said sockets, Within the said tubes0 c and the engaging sockets a a and b 6 I place expansion springs 0 cwhich force the members A and B apart when released from a lockedposition. 4

The construction of the binding posts in my device is inconsequential sofar as it relates to the style and shape of them. Any desirable shapeand any desirable style of extensible post may be used. I prefer,however, to use the telescoping posts E, E, E, E. These posts may besecured to the respective binding bars a, 7), or preferably to the metalstrips a and 72 which are removably attached to the inner face of saidbars a and b by means of screws a w. Screws (0'' are shown at Fig. 4.Like screws 6 not shown, attach the metal strip 7) to the bar 7). Therelation of the said metal strips to the said bars is shown at Figs. 7,8, and 9. I have conceived the idea of placing these binding posts E E EE in different positions relative to the side edges of the metal platesa and b for the following reasons 1st. A great difficulty experienced inthe matter of binders of this class is in attempting to securesufficient strength without making the device too heavy to handle. Byplacing the binding posts in the different positions which I have ustmentioned, I divide the strain upon the binder over a larger area thanwere the posts attached in a line. When the binder is filled with leavesfitting closely to the posts, the posts are held rigid against lateraltension, and being disposed over a larger area of the binder front andback, add material strength to the device in resisting the strain causedby the violent opening of the binder book.

2nd. Leaves punched to fit upon binder posts, will, after having beenused for some time, wear at the openings and when the binder is expandedand the leaves are being moved back and forth along the posts, they areinclined to shift from side to side, and the binder being again closed,the leaves are apt to be out of alinement and not easilyfinedge to gainthe best support of the body of the paper and at the same time havesufti cient number of perforations near the edge of this sheet to enableone to easily insert and remove the same from the binder, the

sheets being slit from the perforations to the edge to enable the sheetsto be placed around the posts without passing them over the end thereof.

I prefer to place my posts in series, each series being "located at adifferent distance from the front edge of the binder, and each serieshaving two or more posts, the purpose of this being that when the leavesare transferred into another binder having only two posts any one of theseries may be used to engage the leaves which correspond with the gageof the other binder.

If the posts E, E are determined to be insufficient to properly maintainthe alinement of the leaves, there may be added the post F which isrectangular in cross section, and presents a greater binding area to theleaves than do the posts E, E. This post F, I would secure to the bars aand b or the strips a and b as are the posts E, E. This post F may beconstructed to any suitable extensible style. I prefer to construct itof two pieces of solid material having lateral sliding engagement witheach other, ef-

fected by means of a loose dovetail connection as shown in Fig. 4. Theuse of this post F has also the effect to secure a higher degree ofrigidity and strength to the binder;

My leaves L L are especially adapted to engage the posts E E of mybinder. They are perforated Ff E E E as shown at Fig. 3. Part of saidperforations E E are placed nearer to the back edge of the leaf L thanthe others E E and correspond in number and position with the posts Eand E respectively. The leaf L is slit opposite the perforations E E inorder to allow the removal of the leaves from the binding withoutlifting them off the ends of the posts E E. In case it is founddesirable to use the post F an additional perforation or a slot F in theleaves will have to be provided to receive said post F.

My locking mechanism is described as follows :To the inner face of theflange (4 I fix a pin g. Upon this pin through suitable apertures Iswing a series of pawls, G G. These pawls G G are designed to engagewith a pawl rack G oppositely attached to the flange 6. The pawls G Gare as to their point of contact with the rack G of unequal length orstaggered. The purpose of this construction is to increase the number oflocking positions of the binder and the effect is that only a part ofthe whole number of pawls engage the rack G at the same time. The numberof these staggered pawls may be increased or decreased and the width ofthe rack G, be varied as may seem desirable, or expedient.

The pawls G G are of such length as to project through a suitableaperture in the bar a. Upon said bar a I place an escutcheon H, andwithin it a sliding block 72, engaging the projecting ends of the pawlsGr Gr. WVithin said escutcheon and opposite to said sliding block it Iprovide in suitable recesses expansion springs 11, h which engage thesaid projecting ends of the pawls G G, and hold them normally inengagement with the rack G. I provide a key J which is inserted througha suitable key hole in the escutcheon plate and engages the said blockit to drive it against the pawls Gr G and disengage them from the rackG.

That I claim as my invention is,

1. In a binder, the combination of ex pansible binding members and alock therefor wit-h an expansible post frame removably attached to thesaid binding members and lock.

2. In a binder the combination with binding members of a plurality ofseries of extensible posts, each of said series adapted to pass througha series of apertures in a sheet of paper located at a diiferentdistance from the edge of said sheet of paper than a similar aperture orapertures engaging the other series of said binding posts.

3. In a binder the combination with binding members of a plurality ofseries of extensible posts, said series being adapted respectively topass through apertures in a sheet of paper located at differentdistances from the edge of said sheet of paper.

l. In a binder the combination with binding members and a plurality ofseries of extensible posts, of a plurality of sheets of paper, eachsheet being provided with two or more series of apertures located respectively at different distances from the edge of said sheet, and havingengagement respectively with the said series of extensible posts.

5. In a binder the combination with flanged binding members, a binderback, extensible posts and removable leaves, of a spring post consistingof a tube attached to said binder back and extending at right anglestoward said flanged binding members, and an expansion spring passingthrough said tube and being seated at its ends respectively against thesaid binding members.

6. In a binder the comibnation with flanged binding members, a binderback, extensible posts and removable leaves of a spring post consistingof opposing sockets fixed to said flanged binding members, a tube fixedto said binder back and telescoping into said sockets and an expansionspring seated within said sockets and passing through said tube,substantially as described.

7. In a binder the combination with binding members, spring posts,binding posts and removable leaves, of a lock consisting of a rackattached to one of said binding members, a plurality of pawls rotatablyattached to a shaft fixed to said other binding member, and havingstaggered engagement with said rack, whereby only a part of said pawlsengage said rack at any one time, and means of actuating said pawls,consisting of a sliding block engaged with one of said binding membersand opposed to the said pawls, to be driven by means of a key againstsaid pawls and disengage them from said rack, and springs adapted toforce said pawls into engagement with said rack, when said sliding blockis released.

8. In a binder the combination with bind ing members and a lockconsisting of a rack attached to one of said members, and a plurality ofpawls attached to said other member and having staggered engagement withsaid rack, and means for actuating said pawls, of a plurality of seriesof extensible posts removably attached to said binding members andadapted to engage leaves perforated at different distances from the edgethereof, and leaves provided with series of perforations at difierentdistances from the edge thereof, and corresponding in number, size andposition to said multiple of series of extensible posts.

9. In a binder, the combination with bind ing members of a plurality ofseries of binding posts, of a plurality of sheets of paper, each sheetbeing provided with two or more apertures slitted and located atdifferent dis tances from one edge of the said sheet, and adapted toengage said binding posts.

In testimony whereof I' have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ELIAS C. HOLLAND.

lVitnesses LownLL I-I. RICE, GEORGE A. SHOEMAKER.

